


Crazy

by ithilien22



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blink and You'll Miss It Jimon, F/F, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 08:02:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7676599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ithilien22/pseuds/ithilien22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For eighteen years, Clary Fray lives a normal life, daydreaming about her soulmate just like everyone else. Then things get a little crazy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crazy

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing Clizzy, but I tried my best to do them justice. Written for [alineblackthorne](http://alineblackthorne.tumblr.com/): Based on your prompts, I went for a meet-cute soulmates au (or as close as you can get to that if you’re following show!canon) – so I hope you enjoy! <3

Clary Fray has always been a little bit embarrassed by her soul mark. She loves the _idea_ of it - that there's someone out there that she's meant to be with, someone who will just _fit_. It's a wonderfully romantic notion and she's often dreamed about what her soulmate would be like, even as a little girl, tracing over Luke's mark as he tucked her into bed.

But her soul mark isn't like Luke's. His is: "Finally. I've been waiting for you," written in neat little script - her mother's first words to him. Clary can't imagine anything more poignant or beautiful, even though her mother and Luke invariably share a secret smirk when she says so, and will never tell her the real story behind it.

Still, the point is that Luke's mark is special, just like the few others Clary has seen in her relatively short lifetime. Sure, some people just have standard salutations, but she sometimes thinks even that would be preferable to her own mark. Because the embarrassing truth is that the small mark hidden on Clary's left wrist reads, simply, "Ow."

"I think it's sweet," her best friend Simon is always teasing her, "that you'll meet your soulmate by knocking them down a flight of stairs."

The scenario in which she injures her soulmate changes every time he says this, growing increasingly sillier and more outlandish with time. Her only small retaliation is to tease him back that his own soulmate is clearly older than him, since Simon's mark reads, "We don't have the luxury right now, _kid_." So when Simon has her hitting her soulmate with her car, his ages to mid-fifties. When she topples into her soulmate's lap off of a stripper pole, Simon's is suddenly old enough to be his grandparent. It's the sort of thing that only your best friend is allowed to get away with, really.

But to the rest of the world, Clary keeps her soul mark covered at all times with a thick leather band. Thankfully, keeping your soul mark covered has become pretty common in recent years. Some people say it adds to the mystery, or some want to challenge fate and get to know someone before they exchange marks (of course, this only really works for the most generic marks, like those with salutations). But whatever the reason, wristbands are all the rage, and for the most part, no one gives Clary's a second glance. She's just like everyone else.

At least, that's what she thinks all the way up until her eighteenth birthday, when her entire world shifts on its axis. She starts the day so excited - an acceptance to art school in her pocket and plans to go out with Simon and Maureen to celebrate that night - but somehow ends it standing in her ruined apartment, her whole life crumbling around her.

"Mom, mom!" she shouts, hoping somehow that her mom is still here, even though she knows in her heart that she's gone. Luke's hateful words - _I don't care about either of them. They mean nothing to me. Kill them both if you like._ \- are still ringing in her head. Everything is so wrong. None of it is real. It can't be.

When she sees Dot upstairs her relief is palpable, but it's gone almost as quickly when Dot confirms her worst fears, that her mother's been kidnapped. Then, suddenly, Dot isn't Dot at all, and everything goes black.

\---

Clary wakes up feeling disoriented. The room she's in now is bright, a stark contrast to the dark desolation of the apartment where she expects to find herself. She sits up quickly, and smacks into someone sitting at the foot of the cot she's apparently been lying on.

"Ow," the girl says, sitting back slightly and giving Clary a wry smile. Her long dark hair falls down around her shoulders in soft curls and she’s covered in tattoos of the same kind of odd symbols as the boy from the club. Despite the circumstances, Clary can't help the fleeting thought that this is the most beautiful girl she's ever seen. 

"Wait," is all she manages to say aloud though, too confused to apologize. This has been the strangest and most terrifying day of her life and now she has no idea where she is or what's happening. "I- I don't know you. Where- ?"

The girl's mouth falls open with something like surprise as Clary tries to stutter out her questions. Then, for some reason, her expression morphs into something strangely warm and excited, like she's just seen the sun come out after a terribly long winter. She smiles.

"I'm Isabelle," she offers. Warmth flutters in Clary's chest at the sound of her companion's name, but she pushes it aside, forcing herself to look away and take in her surroundings instead, trying to figure out where she might be. It looks like some kind of makeshift triage room, but... in a church? None of it makes any sense.

"You really don't know much, do you?" Isabelle asks her, smile still warm but tinged with a little sadness. Something about her expression breaks the dam within Clary.

"All I know is some psychos took my mother," she practically shouts, panic welling inside her chest, "and now you people have taken me!"

Isabelle remains infuriatingly calm through Clary's outburst and her smile never falters.

"And by 'taken,' I assume you mean, 'saved your life'?" she asks gently. She reaches out and takes Clary's wrist, rubbing her thumb just under Clary's wristband. Despite literally everything telling her the exact opposite, Isabelle's hand on her wrist makes Clary feel... _safe_. She thinks back over their conversation and it finally clicks, the realization making her gasp and withdraw her hand.

"You- You're," Clary starts but can't manage to get the words out. Isabelle grins, and removes the metal cuff from her left wrist, holding it up for Clary to see her own handwriting scrawled onto someone else's skin, her messy print spelling out, "Wait, I don't know you."

With shaky fingers, Clary unsnaps her own wristband, showing her mark to Isabelle in turn. Isabelle laughs outright when she sees the word that's been hidden underneath. Hearing her soulmate's laugh is contagious and Clary finds herself giggling as well, clutching at Isabelle until they're both practically crying with laughter.

Clary knows it's not funny, but she's such a mess of emotions that it feels good to have some sort of release. She's eighteen now, and she's something called a shadowhunter, and demons are real, and her mother is missing, and... she's found her soulmate.

"This is the stupidest day," she says, when she's calmed down enough to speak. Isabelle giggles again, but then pushes it down, her face growing more serious. She takes Clary's hand.

"We will find your mother," she promises. "My brothers and I, this is what we do. We can teach you."

"To fight demons?" Clary asks, somewhat dubiously.

Isabelle brings her other hand to Clary's neck, tracing some kind of pattern with her fingers. Clary leans into the touch.

"Yes, to fight demons," Isabelle agrees. "You were born to do this. No matter what has happened, this is who you _are_."

Clary sighs, "I'm not exactly feeling that right now. A few days ago, all I had to worry about was getting into art school, and now-"

"Now you have me," Isabelle cuts in. "We can do this, Clary. We'll find your mother. Together."

And the craziest thing is, Clary believes her.


End file.
